Violin holder



NOV. 17, 1936. R, HE 2,061,464

VIOLIN HOLDER Filed Feb. 8, 1934 ATTORNEY Patented Nov. 17, 1936 UNiTED stares ATENT GFFICE Application February 8, 1934, Serial No. 710,357 In Germany February 11, 1933 '2 Claims.

The invention refers to a violin holder with holding means adjustable to the body measurements of different'persons. Holding devices for Violins are already known, and use has been made for instance of neck supports or of shoulder supports, and also of chin supports adjustable in height and tiltable.

The novel feature of the invention consists in that a neck support is united with a shoulder support, and in that the downwardly extending parts of both supports and the members connecting them form a third support resting on and being supported against the breast. Other novel features of the holder according to the invention consist in that the chin support combined with the holder is adjustable vertically, transversely and diagonally, and in that all the aforesaid features are constructed in the simplest possible manner.

It is a well known fact that in learning to play the violin and in playing it, the principal difficulty encountered lies in mastering the correct position of the instrument, which requires it to be pressed between the lower jaw-bone and the collar-bone and sustained by the left arm. The use of cushions and chin supports and of chin supports provided with shoulder supports only partly eliminates these difficulties, and this also refers to adjustable chin supports with shoulder supports.

It is principally impossible to freely move the fore-arm, as is the case for instance while playing cello. The surety of striking the right string and also the ability of the left arm to effect vibratos, is therefore greatly reduced, if there shall not be created any unfavorable reactions on the fiddle-stick.

The violin holder according to the invention produces a general effect which is new and favorable to the playing of the instrument, and which it has not been possible to obtain by other already known devices. The violin can be held mechanically by the new holder in a predetermined position with respect to the human body, while preserving to the utmost the usual outer form of the unity of violin and violin holder constituted by a violin not held to the body, and not sustained by engagement with the chin of the player, and conserving at the same time the hitherto existing simplicity of handling the violin in raising and fitting it to the shoulder and in lowering and releasing it.

None of the known devices for holding the violin complies with the newly raised and fundamentally tested violin-pedagogic demand of a generally uniform relation in the position of the violin to the human body, and especially to the starting point of the movements of the right arm (fiddle arm), by means of which the management of the bow, difficult by the changes of contact between bow and violin required for the production 5 of the right sound, may be considerably simplifled, whereas the present device provides a basic position that is usually impossible to lose or, if lost, may be restored quickly at any time, but which now permits a secure, conscious or unconscious 10 watching of the points of contact between the hairs of the bow and the strings which, according to the new violin-pedagogic conceptions (doctrine of contact positions) should always adjust themselves to the height of the tone and grip, to the 15 pressure of the bow and of the arm, and to the velocity of the stroke.

In the accompanying drawing, in which a preferred embodiment of the invention is shown:

Figure 1 represents a violin with the holder at- 20 tached.

Figure 2 is a View of the united neck and shoulder supports the latter turned to a position in which it may be kept in the violin box.

Figure 2a shows the extremity of the neck sup- 25 port provided with telescoping extensible means.

Figure 2b shows the neck support adjustably mounted in the breast support.

Figure 3 represents the neck and shoulder supports connected with the curved member attached 30 to the violin.

Figure 4 is a view in perspective of the curved member.

Figure 5 shows a modification in the manner of securing one end of the curved member to the 35 violin.

Figure 6 is a fragmentary rear View of the violin with the curved member attached.

Figure 7 is a view from below of the tiltable and turnable chin support.

Figure 8 is a perspective View of the casing sliding in the guides of the curved member.

Figure 9 is a vertical sectional view through the center of the sliding casing. Figure 10 is a perspective view showing a modification of the casing as shown in Figure 8.

Figure 11 is a rear View in perspective of the casing shown in Figure 10.

Figure 12 is a perspective view of the slide for 50 straddling the neck support.

Figure 13 is a cross section of the slide along the means for attaching it to and releasing it from the neck support.

Figure 14 is a fragmentary sectional detail on a 55 slightly enlarged scale on a plane substantially as indicated by the line I4-I4 of Figure 12.

As appears from the drawing, the violin holder comprises a metal plate or member I (Figure 4), curved so as to adapt itself to the curved rear edge of the violin, and having the center portion of its longitudinal edges doubled so as to form guides 2 for receiving a sliding member 3 (Figure 8). The ends of the curved member I are provided with adjustable clamps 4 for securing it to the violin. An oval opening 5 provided in the member I permits it to be placed under the knob 6 of the string holder, and to be slightly moved along the edge of the violin so as to adapt its curve to that of said violin, which varies somewhat in different models of violins. In Figure 5, one of the clamps 4 is shown substituted by a hook 1 formed on one end of the member I, which hook grips the knob 6, a resilient washer 8 being placed between the head of said knob and the hook to prevent the latter from loosening.

Through the center of the sliding member 3 passesa screw 9 fastening it to a square casing I provided with two vertical perforations I I and I2, the first of which receives the pin I3 carrying the ball I4, and the second the pin I carrying theball I6. The ball I4 enters a socket I! mounted on the under side of the chin support I8 and connected with a plate I9 having a curved slot through which passes a screw 20. The chin support may therefore be adjusted around its central axis in a horizontal plane, and tilted at any angle and towards any side by means of its universal joint I4-II.

The sliding member 3 may be held in any position along the guides 2 by means of a suitable friction clamp 2I pivotally mounted in ears 2I and having a projecting lug 2Ib to engage the curved member I and hold casing II] from movement therein. The screw 9 is prevented. from loosening by a set screw 22 passing through the casing II]. A ball-pointed pin 23., pushed outward by a spring 24, enters into a recess 23 provided at the back of the sliding member 3, in which position the edges of thecasing I0 and the sliding member are parallel. The casing may be turned, however, with the screw 9 as a pivot, the spring actuated pin. 23 moving out of engagement. with the recess. The ball-bearing pins l3 and. 15 may be secured at any height in the perforations I I and I2 by means of the set screws 25. Screws 25. as shown in the drawing are arranged to engage the pin I3. It will be understood, however, that the identical structure is arranged at the other. end of the casing I0 for engagement with the pin I5.

The pin- I5 is preferably bent twice in form of a Z, with the central portion sloping downward, and its ball I6 enters a socket 26 provided on the slide 21, being firmly detained in the desired position by a threaded member 28, this structure being conventional. The slide 21 connects the easing I0 and thereby the curved member I and the violin, with the neck and shoulder supports.

The neck support comprises a curved upper part 29 embracing the back of the neck, and a substantially straight portion 30 extending diagonally across the breast. This straight portion, as shown by dotted lines in Figure 2, may also be slightly curved so as to adapt itself more closely to the breast, and is provided with a lon gitudinal slot 3I through which passes a stop 32 detained by a screw 33.

The shoulder support also comprises a curved portion 34 for straddling the left shoulder, and

passes with its threaded extremity through a nut 35 placed on one end of a tube 36. This tube is soldered to a flat member 31, and the ends of said flat members 31 are secured to arms 38 and 39 with the extremities of the lower portion 30 of the neck support, forming thereby a parallelogram whose long sides may be displaced substantially parallel to each other so as to adjust, by means of the screw 40, the respective positions of the curved parts 29 and 34 of the supports. The extension of the shoulder support 34 may be varied by screwing it more or less into the tube 36.

The point of attachment between the cross member 38 and the neck support 29 may also be adjusted by means of a slot 3| with its corresponding screw, so as to vary the extension of said neck support above said slot.

Figure 2a shows a device for lengthening the free end of the curved neck support 29 by means of a telescoping extension 29 adjustably secured by a screw 29, and Figure 2b shows the same curved neck support 29 having a laterally extending pin 4I slidably disposed in a perforated mem: ber 42 uniting the breast supports 30 and 31, in. order to laterally adjust the neck support 29, the pin 4| being detained by a set screw 43.

The slide 21 straddles with its slot 2'I the breast portion 30 of the neck support, being detained at any desired height by the stop 32.. For firmly clamping said slide in place and at the same time permit its easy removal when the violin is to be taken off, a catch 44 capable to be pushed back against a spring 45 by a pin 46, is provided in the slide 21, and passes through the slot 3| when released.

It may sometimes be necessary or advisable to be able during the playing of the violin, to tilt it around its longitudinal axis. This may be effected by the modification illustrated in Figures and 11, in which the part of the casing I0 carrying the pin I3 of the chin support, is firmly united with the sliding member 3', while the re-- maining part I0 of the same casing, supporting the pin I5 which connects it with the slide 21, is loose and pivotally mounted onscrew 9' corresponding to the screw 9 shown in Figure 9. Therefore, by pressing down on the chin support with the chin, the sliding member 3', thecurved member I andthe violin are all tilted towards the right side, while the other part Ill of the cas ing remains stationary, held by the slide 21' on the front portion 30 of the neck support. The

adjustable member 3 also has openings II and I2 corresponding to openings II and I2, setscrews 22' for the same purpose as set-screw-22, and a clamp 2I, corresponding to and for the same purpose as clamp 2|. Part I0 is also provided with set-screws 25' for adjusting the member 3' on pin I3.

Obviously, changes in the details of construction may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention and I do not care to limit myself to any particular form or arrangement of parts.

What I claim is:

1. A violin holder, comprising a plate shaped to conform to the rear edge of a violin and having inturned guide flanges on opposite edges thereof, means to secure said plate on said rear edge, a casing slidably mounted by said flanges, a chin rest, and means mounting said chin rest on said casing, said means being'adjustable.

2. A violin holder, comprising a plate shaped,

to conform to the rear edge of a violin, means 75.

to removably secure said plate on said rear edge, guide means on said plate, a member slidably mounted on said guide means, a casing pivotally mounted on said member, a pin adjustably carried by said casing, a chin rest, and means including a universal joint mounting said chin rest on said pin.

3. A violin holder, comprising a plate shaped to conform to the rear edge of a violin, means to removably secure said plate to said rear edge, a casing slidably mounted on said plate, a substantially quadrilateral frame supported by said casing, said frame provided with means to engage the neck and a shoulder of a player, and the members of said frame being articulated for relative adjustment.

4. In a violin holder, a quadrilateral frame for engagement with the breast of a player, said frame having spaced substantially parallel bars and cross members pivotally engaging said bars, one of said bars having a curved extension from its upper end to engage the players neck, a threaded member secured on the other bar, a curved rod having a threaded extremity engaging said threaded member for adjustment thereof, said curved rod adapted to rest on the players shoulder, said bars depending from said curved extension and curved rod when supported on the player, and means slidably engaging one of said depending bars to adjustably mount a violin on said frame.

5. A violin holder as in claim 4, the means for adjustably mounting the violin on the frame comprising providing the first mentioned bar with a longitudinal slot, a member slidably mounted on said bar, a stop for said member adjustably mounted in said slot, an angular pin extending from said member, and a casing slidably mounted on the rear edge of a violin and secured to said angular pin.

6. A violin holder as in claim 4, the means for adjustably mounting the violin on the frame comprising providing the first mentioned bar with a longitudinal slot, a member slidably mounted on said bar and having a spring actuated latch engaging in said slot, a stop for said member adjustably mounted in said slot, an angular pin extending from said member, a ball and socket connection between the member and pin, a casing secured to said pin, and means secured to the rear edge of a violin to slidably mount said casing thereon.

'7. A violin holder, comprising a plate shaped to conform to the rear edge of a violin, clamping devices secured to said plate and adapted to engage the violin body to hold the plate in position, said plate having longitudinal inturned edges providing sliding guides, a member slidable in said guides, a casing pivotally secured to said member, an angular pin secured to said casing, a quadrilateral frame, a slide adjustably mounted on one of the elements of said frame, means to hold said slide in adjustable positions on the frame, and the frame provided with means to engage the neck and a shoulder of a player to hold it against the players breast.

RUDOLF HEIMERS. 

